


Dogs

by polishpromdress



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dogs, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 19:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5061262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polishpromdress/pseuds/polishpromdress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For my best friend; Kara. The only person I love more than dogs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dogs

Dean sifted through envelopes covered in bright red stamps, shaking his head.

"Sammy, for the last time, no."  
Sam shifted his weight, whining. He stuffed some more of the bacon Dean had made for him in his mouth before continuing.  
"Dean, cmon! We've always wanted a dog. Dad would never get us one."

"Well dad's coming back, Sam and he won't be happy when he finds a dog in here." Dean countered.

"He's not coming back, Dean! He's been gone for months.." Sam yelled, leaving tension in the air.

Dean stared at him, his face softening. 

"You know we can't afford one, Sammy. I'm sorry." He said, ruffling Sam's hair.

"Now get out of here, kid you're gonna be late for school." Dean said as Sam gave him a small smile.

Sam grabbed his backpack and went out the door, waving goodbye to his brother.  
Dean went back to his chair, a heavy depressed feeling weighing over him. He put a few checks in some empty, unmarked envelopes and sealed them, stuffing them in his bag. He went to the fridge and took a swig of orange juice that had seen much better days.  
He shoved it forcefully into the trash, holding onto the sink in frustration, trying not to hit something.

Dean couldn't help but feel suffocated . His dad had been gone since last May, and Sammy was struggling to finish his senior year wondering where he went. Dean had moved back into the trailer park after his father called him, telling him he would be out of town for a week or so. It had been nine months. 

Dean grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder, and slammed the screen door behind him. He revved up the Impala, waking the neighbors most likely. 

He drove as fast as he could to the post office, wishing to leave all his bad feelings within the wind. He hummed and batted his fingers against the steering wheel even though nothing was playing, a constant rock ballad serenading his mind.

Dean stepped out of the car, the envelopes feeling stiff in his hand. As he turned to walk to the building, something from across the street caught his eye. He craned his neck to read the sign. It read: "FREE TO A GOOD HOME." with an arrow pointing to a basket below. In this basket, six tiny chocolate lab puppies all huddled together, happily.

Dean didn't realize he was smiling until he felt his cheeks get sore. His feet were planted in the gravel, suddenly torn between what to do. He had to admit, he had always wanted a dog. And Sammy would be so happy if he bought one..

Dean stuffed the envelopes back in the Impala and trudged over to the house across the street, which was dancing with spring color. He slowly approached the basket, and he could feel a small lump form in his throat. 

"Looking for a puppy?" A voice said, causing Dean to snap his head up in reply.

A toothy grin greeted him, an outstretched hand lingering in the air. Dean grabbed it and shook it, dumbfounded by this man. 

"I'm Cas. I work down at Piedmont Paws as a vet, and one day I found this girl on the side of the road."  
He said jabbing a thumb behind him towards the large chocolate lab who lay beside the basket.

"She was completely abandoned, and not a day after I got her, she had the litter! Beauties, aren't they?" Cas finished, beaming at him.

Dean felt the sides of his mouth perk up, trying to absorb everything he said. Cas' black hair blew messily in the breeze, and then Dean noticed they were still shaking hands.

Dean felt his face turn bright red, and then he had a sudden interest in his feet.  
"My name is Dean. It's nice to meet you, Cas." 

They stood in silence, staring at each other as the smell of fresh petunias swam through the air.

"My brother h-he's been bugging me for a dog for weeks now. We never were allowed to get one when we were kids."

"How old is he?" Cas asked, tilting his head a little bit in curiosity.

"He will be 18 in May. He's a senior down at Park Adams." 

Cas laughed, his hands still tucked in his pockets.  
"Guess you finally caved, huh?"

Dean shook his head and got closer to the basket, his heart melting at the sight of the little fur balls.

"You wanna pick one out?" Cas asked, leaning over his shoulder.

Dean scanned the basket and found one puppy with a white dot right on the top of its head. He picked it up and held it close to his chest, his face soon covered in puppy kisses. He laughed a big, hearty laugh that echoed through the woods.

He took one look at the smile spread on Cas' lips and announced:  
"I'll take him." 

 

Cas walked with Dean to his car, giving him a blanket and some food to get started with the puppy.  
"Here, this is my number. If you have any questions or anything happens, give me a call. I'll be happy to help." He said with a gummy smile.

Dean shook his hand again, thanking him.

Dean got in his car, keeping the puppy curled up on his lap.  
He opened his window after Cas knocked on the glass with a single knuckle. 

"I'm not gonna say I hope something happens to your dog, but I hope I see you again."  
And with that, he walked back across the street. 

 

Dean waited in the trailer for Sam to get home , his nerves eating him alive. He couldn't wait to finally see that kid smile again. But, for some reason his mind kept drifting back to Cas, and his goofy smile. He wanted to go find him right now and just talk to him. Dean had never wanted to get to know someone else so bad.

He played with the puppy all day, then eventually took a nap with it curled up on his chest on the sofa. 

He awoke to the crunch of gravel and the squeaking of the screen door. Dean sat up and held the puppy in his arms, already smiling. Sam burst through the door with his girlfriend, Jessica following close behind. 

"Hey, Dean Jess is-" Sam began, cutting off as he saw his brother.  
Jessica gasped and squealed in awe. 

"Happy early birthday, Sammy." Dean said, something pricking at his voice.

Sam ran up to Dean, and Dean could see that there were tears in his eyes. Sam grabbed the puppy and held it close to him, and Dean swore he could see his brother as a 10 year old again. 

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sam said, laughing.

He handed the puppy to Jessica and pulled Dean into a huge hug.

"Don't mention it, kid. You deserve it."  
Dean said.

Sam coddled the puppy in Jessica's arms.  
"What's it's name?" Sam asked.  
"Up to you, Sammy."

Sam turned to Jessica and they both looked at each other in thought.

"You pick, Jessica."  
She blushed and thought for a long while, looking over the puppy as it licked her hand.  
"How about Jake?"

*

The weeks droned on and suddenly Sam was back to his happy-go-lucky self. He barely even asked about his dad anymore. 

Who still hadn't come home.

Jake had gotten tons bigger, and fit in with the family perfectly. He was the best decision they had made in awhile, and Dean never thought twice about it . 

Jessica and Sam were better than ever. Just last week him and Dean stayed up talking all night, and Sam admitted he was gonna marry her. Dean was ecstatic; Jessica was family.

Dean kept working at the factory on nights and Sam continued to pick up some money as a cashier at the local Safeway. Together they got by as the end of Sam and Jessica's senior year drew to a close.  
Sam's grades had been back to their normal excellence, something Dean was fiercely proud of. It was looking like he might be class valedictorian this year.

Lately Dean had been having dreams about Cas. Just about talking to him, listening to his voice. He looked at the card Cas had given him with his number on it almost everyday, contemplating whether or not to call. Dean ran himself mad about it, since he had never been the type of guy to think before calling and asking someone out. 

 

It was a Sunday, and Dean was still asleep around 2pm, trying to recover from his shift last night.  
Jessica and Sam had taken Jake out on a walk to the pond, which was where they spent most of their time when they weren't at home.  
Dean awoke to the trailer shaking and Sam yelling.  
"Dean!"  
Dean sat up and rubbed his eyes, as Jessica and Sam ran up to him. Sam was holding Jake in his long arms.

"Sam, calm down, what happened?" Dean said.  
"It's Jake. We were playing catch in the field next to the pond and he got bit by a snake."

Dean looked over the dog who was unconscious in his brothers arms. He met his brother's eyes to see tears falling from the sides them.  
Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder and squeezed it, taking in a deep breath. He hadn't seen Sam cry since they were kids.  
"I know who to call. Get in the back of the Impala and make him comfortable. I'll meet you all in there."  
Dean said, turning away from them and grabbing the phone off the hook.

Jessica followed Sam, sniffling.  
"Hey, Jess." Dean said, calling her over.  
He pulled her in a hug and kissed the top of her head.  
"He's gonna be okay, kid."  
She nodded and flashed him a small smile, then hurried out the door to help Sam. 

Dean dialed the number he had been looking at for weeks, the tone making him insane.

"Hello?"  
"Hi, uh-Cas it's Dean. I adopted a dog from you a couple months back."  
"Oh, hey Dean! How are you?" Cas said, and you could hear his smile through the phone.  
"Not so good, actually. My dog is hurt and we need some help. Got bit by a snake, and we think it was poisonous."  
There was a beat before Cas spoke again.  
"Bring him on over and i'll see what I can do."

 

The car ride was long for Dean as he listened to Jess and Sam sniffling through the silence. Dean was real worried, too. He couldn't help it; Jake had become a part of the family. And there wasn't a damn thing Dean loved more than his family.

They pulled into the skinny gravel driveway and Dean hopped out before the car had even stopped rolling. He ran ahead and knocked on the door as Sam and Jessica carried Jake behind him.

Dean heard running from inside and then Cas, sweating slightly opened the front door. He craned his neck to see Jake, then waved them inside.

"Put him on the table over there."  
He said, pointing to his dining room.

Jessica and Sam exchanged confused looks.

Cas laughed lightly.  
"I dont want to risk taking the time to go to the office. It's better if we do this here."  
And with that Cas went somewhere behind the kitchen, shuffling in cabinets and drawers.

He had put gloves on and acquired multiple syringes and a bag that looked very heavy.  
Without warning, he inserted one of the needles into Jake's unconscious side.

He looked up at the three of them, watching their cringes.  
"I will probably need to keep him a tad bit into the night." Cas said, looking at his watch.

"You guys have school tomorrow, so take the Impala home." Dean said, tossing Sam the keys.

"But, then how will you get home?"  
Jessica asked.

"I'll bring him and Jake home. No worries." Cas said with a gummy grin.

 

Jessica and Sam said their goodbyes after promising Dean that Sam would be taking Jessica straight home. 

 

"And then there were three." Cas said with a smirk.

Dean awkwardly stuck his hands in his pockets, avoiding Jake with his eyes.

"You know you can sit if you want. I'm not gonna bite you." Cas said, not looking up from whatever he was doing with the dog.

Dean felt his face go hot, and he couldn't think of why.  
Why was I acting so damn stupid ?

Dean became frustrated with himself, but he couldn't stop thinking of his eyes.

A long time went by where they were in silence. The clang of metal instruments and gauze ripping off a roll could be heard through the echoes of the old wood, but no voices.

Finally Cas spoke,  
"Alright! Jake's going to be just fine. I want to keep him here for about an hour or two just to see how he reacts to the medicine, but he should be fine." He said with the smile that seemed plastered on his face.

Dean walked over and hugged Jake, who was coherent again. He happily kicked him in reply.  
He outstretched his arm to Cas.  
"Thanks, man. This means a lot to us. Now, how much do I owe you?"  
Dean asked, pulling out his wallet.

Cas waved his hands, furrowing his eyebrows.  
"No, no, no. This is on me."

Dean cracked a smile.  
"Nah, man c'mon. You just saved my dog on your dining room table, let me give you something."

They had moved very close together, and Dean could smell the mint of Cas' cologne.

They slowly leaned into each other, and Dean could feel the hair go up on his neck.

Just millimeters away from each other, Cas' phone rang.  
Dean shut his eyes and leaned back into his heels. 

Cas sighed, taking his cellphone out of his pocket and answering it.

"Castiel Novak."  
He said, blatantly.

Dean sprung up at this, cocking his head.  
What an interesting name.

His eyes suddenly grew and he looked up at Dean.

"I'll be right over." Cas said quickly, shoving his phone in his pocket.

"Castiel. That's a real cool nam-" Dean began.  
Cas had grabbed onto both of his arms, looking at him with a gleam in his eyes that Dean had never seen.

"Puppies. One of the monitors at my office went off. A German Shepard we have been housing for awhile is having her litter right now."  
Cas nearly shouted.

He swiftly grabbed Jake off the table and laid him down on a dog bed he had in the corner of the room. He then grabbed his keys off the table and ran to the door out.  
Dean stood in place, still stunned.

"Are you coming or what, Dean?" 

*

Dean wasn't quite sure how it happened. But, what had started out as one of the scariest nights of his life had turned into his best. Him and Cas helped deliver the puppies and then sat watching them for hours into the night. 

Dean couldn't explain why Cas made him so flustered, and so happy. He had never felt like this before in his whole life. The tingles and butterflies throughout his whole body were non stop, but he learned to love them. They talked well into the darkest hours of night, telling each other everything, as if it were the easiest thing in the whole world. Cas had gotten a bottle of wine from his mini fridge which he saves for "special occasions" and they sipped it happily.

After deciding the where they were going on their first date, and many kisses over mediocre wine, they thought it might be best to adopt one of the puppies.  
Together.


End file.
